


Scared

by RoyallyJeleanor



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Angst, Emmerdale - Freeform, M/M, Minor Robron spoiler, Tears, robron - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 16:32:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12536160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyallyJeleanor/pseuds/RoyallyJeleanor
Summary: After Aaron takes Rebecca to the hospital in labour, Robert leaves Aaron outside as he rushes in to be at the birth. But what happens next?Based vaguely on recent Emmerdale spoilers and what I think could happen afterwards!





	Scared

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't read any spoilers fully, only seen snippets of information on tumblr so this spoiler might not even be accurate, but this idea came into my head earlier I couldn't resist writing it down. 
> 
> I hope at least someone enjoys it!

Aaron slumped down onto the sofa, a sigh escaping his lips as he ran an shaking hand across his face. His mind was whirring, his heart beating an unsteady rhythm in his chest as he felt the prickling in his eyes warning him that yet more tears were on their way.

Luckily there had only been a few tears the first time they'd graced him with their presence today, few enough that he could brush them away pretty inconspicuously as he made his way across the hospital car park. As he walked away from his ex-husband and his new family inside.

The ones which had poured once he had first got back to the Mill had been harder to stop. He hadn't even realised those ones were coming as he stared around the empty living room, not until he felt the first drop of wetness drop from his chin. He'd let those ones fall interrupted, letting the pain rip through him as if he was being torn to shreds.

The Mill was supposed to be _their_ home. Robert, Aaron and Liv. Possibly even the place for Robert and him to add to their family unit, the sound of tiny footsteps running around the kitchen floor once a possibility. But now Robert was going to experience that somewhere else, with someone else, and Aaron allowed himself to wallow in the pain of that for a while.

Not that there was anyone around to stop him.

It had taken him a while, but eventually he'd managed to drag himself upstairs for a cold shower, hoping the water would force him back into reality and away from the dark, swirling mess of his thoughts. He'd opened a can of beer and settled himself onto the sofa ready for a Top gear binge, when yet again he'd felt his heart drop.

Robert was supposed to be curled up beside him, making sarcastic remarks about 'old fashioned granny cars' as he slowed inched himself closer, until eventually the TV would be forgotten in favour of heated kisses and touches of warm skin.

A deep groan burst from his chest at his own pathetic-ness as he held his fingers against his eyes roughly to hold back the onslaught of emotion he knew he wouldn't be able to handle. When he eventually opened his eyes again they stung, stars and spots flooding his vision as they tried to recover from his own attack.

And yet one thought still rang clear in his head. Robert was probably a father now.

He instinctively picked up the TV remote, ready to fling it at the nearest delicate object when his phone rang loudly from its place on the coffee table. Muting the TV and hurriedly reaching to grab it, he felt his heart lurch into his mouth as he saw the name flashing across the brightened screen.

Robert.

He contemplated ignoring him, but the allure of hearing his voice was too strong and before he even realised what he was doing he was holding the phone against his ear precariously.

"Hello?" He answered, cursing the way his hoarse voice gave away his emotions.

"Hi, it's me," Robert replied carefully, before hastily adding, "It's Robert," as if Aaron would ever not recognise his voice instinctively, even without caller ID.

"Yeah," Aaron replied after a brief pause, his toes curling at their awkwardness. How could he now feel so unsure just talking to the man who he had once imagined spending the rest of his life with? The man who could turn him into a desperate, gasping mess with just the press of a well placed finger.

"I just er, wanted to say sorry for earlier," Robert told him, a slight wobble of nervousness to his voice that Aaron wished he hadn't picked up on. "For just leaving you outside the hospital I mean, I didn't want to but-" he continued, his words garbled in a way that Robert rarely allowed them to be, usually so calm and collected.

"It's fine," Aaron interrupted, wanting to ease him of his embarrassment. "You had more important things to be doing," he added with a little self-depreciating laugh.

"Aaron," Robert breathed, his voice barely audible. "Please don't say that, you know you're the most important thing in my life, but I had to be there."

"I didn't mean it like that honestly, I'm not trying to make it into a competition," Aaron told him earnestly, kicking himself internally for his own selfish. "Of course you had to be there, it's the most special day of your life when your children are born. Or at least so I've heard, not that I'll ever know," he added with a small laugh.

"Of course you will Aaron! You will make the most amazing father!" Robert told him instantly, his passion evident.

"Kind of hard to see how that's gonna happen considering the whole gay thing," he replied with a chuckle, even as his mind was plagued with images of Robert and him holding their own child.

"Aaron you know that-" Robert began, but Aaron had a feeling he knew what road that sentence was about to lead them down, and he couldn't bear for any conversations of the family they could have had together.

"Anyway, enough about me!" Aaron interrupted again, taking a deep breath. "I'm guessing the baby's arrived, how's he doing?" He tried to put on a cheerful front, but he could tell by Roberts wary response that he didn't believe him.

"Yeah, he's here, the doctors said he's healthy so that's a good sign."

Aaron smiled, despite his pain, genuinely glad that Roberts little boy was safe. He might not like the fact that he was conceived, but no matter what he was a part of Robert and he didn't want any harm to come to him. "Good," he replied earnestly, before adding a bit more hesitantly, "I suppose congratulations are in order."

"Chrissie and Lawrence are here, I think they've already got congratulating Rebecca sorted," Robert told him quietly.

"I wasn't talking about congratulating Rebecca, I was talking about you," Aaron told him gently, "he's your son too so congratulations."

Robert gave a slight laugh, but Aaron could tell it was genuine, especially considering the deep sigh which followed it. "That's what I'm worried about." Roberts words were so quiet that he almost didn't hear him, but as soon as he did he felt his heart ache for him.

"Rob?" He asked carefully, wanting to make sure he was okay but also knowing it wasn't his place to ask questions anymore.

"Sorry, I'm still here," Robert replied after another long pause, his voice wobbling again.

"Robert, what did you ring me for?" Aaron asked him gently, not wanting to pry but unable to put the phone down thinking Robert was silently struggling.

"I-" Robert began, almost about to open up without thinking, before he stopped himself. Aaron didn't deserve to be burdened with his feelings anymore. "I just wanted to say thanks for your help today and I'm sorry for rushing off and leaving you," he told him instead, adopting his calm business voice to hide his turmoil.

"Rob," Aaron whispered once he was finished, seeing through his tone immediately.

There was another pause, and Aaron almost thought that Robert had hung up the phone until he heard him take an unsteady breath. "I'm sorry Aaron, I shouldn't have rung, I'm not your problem anymore," he murmured.

"Rob, I know that things between us haven't exactly been, well, good lately, but I'm still here," Aaron admitted, despite his head screaming at him to keep his distance. "If you need me, I mean. I know you've got your family with the Whites now but-"

"You're my family Aaron," Robert interrupted fiercely, "no matter what happens between us, I'll always see you and Liv as my family."

Aaron bit his lip to stop himself repeating the sentiment. "Well I'm here, if you need me."

"Thanks Aaron, that means more than you can imagine," Robert whispered.

Aaron cleared his throat as he felt that tell tale prickling in his eyes again, needing to end this conversation before he lost control. "Right, well I best leave you to go spend time with your son."

"I'm scared, Aaron." Roberts confession was so quiet, it took Aaron a second to realise he'd actually heard it.

"What?" He asked, needing the confirmation.

"I'm scared, Aaron," Robert repeated. "Actually no, I'm _terrified_ that I'm going to screw this up. I shouldn't be a father Aaron, I don't deserve to be one and this kid certainly doesn't deserve to have the misfortune of me as his father."

Roberts heartfelt confession took Aaron by surprise, his heart jolting painfully at Roberts insecurity. "Hey, your little boy is lucky to have you as his father. I always knew you'd be an amazing father, and the fact it's not me and you with a baby doesn't change that." Aaron told him genuinely, not surprised now that a tear was slowing making a track down his cheek.

"I wish it was with you, Aaron," Robert told him sincerely, the sound of his sob clear even through the phone. "It's you that deserves to be a father, you who would be amazing at it. You're so good with kids, I always knew I'd be the hopeless one between us, but at least I thought I'd have you to lean on, you to guide me through it. Now I've got no chance."

"Hey, hey, stop it okay? You've got other people to lean on Rob, you're not on your own!" Aaron couldn't even try and keep the tears at bay now, Roberts evident pain mingled with his own too much to handle. "It's a learning curve and all new parents are bound to make mistakes, but one thing is for sure, you will love and protect that baby boy with all your heart because that's what you do for the people you care about."

The sound of Roberts tears down the phone spurred Aaron on. He might not exactly be happy about the situation, but he knew that despite the circumstances Robert would be a brilliant father. "You're not going to mess it all up Robert, I really believe that. You just need to take it one day at a time."

"Thankyou, Aaron," Robert told him when his tears began to stop. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't expect you to help me with this."

"I'm glad you called me Robert," Aaron admitted. Despite everything, it still gave Aaron a little thrill and a contented feeling to know that he was the person Robert had turned to.

"Now come on, pull yourself together and go and say hello to your son," Aaron told him firmly, deciding the tough love approach was needed now that Robert had been given the chance to let him emotions out. "We both know you won't be able to get a look in once Vic gets there, so you best make the most of it before she does."

Roberts laugh brought a feeling of relief over Aaron and he let himself smile.

"Okay and thank you Aaron, really," Robert told him, his voice now sounding much more measured.

"You're welcome," Aaron replied. "I'll speak to you later." Aaron was surprised to find that despite his pain at the situation, his chat with Robert had somehow eased his sorrow. He wanted Robert to be a good father and he believed he would be.

"Bye Aaron," Robert responded.

Aaron didn't hearing Roberts final words as he moved to put the phone down.

"I love you."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @RoyallyJeleanor or at my Robron side blog @hes-everything :)


End file.
